Do you feel safe from terrorism in Canada?A report
says that Canada was on Osama bin Laden’s hit list. This week Pulse of
Canada asks Canadians if they feel safe from terrorism.

Thomas Bink: I don’t think anyone can feel immune
from terrorism, whether at home or when travelling to another country.
You just never know when someone is going to plant a bomb on a subway,
in a landmark or at a big event. There have already been suspected
terrorist cells and activities in Canada. So while I don’t think Canada
is as big a target as some other countries might be, I don’t think we
can say we’re somehow safe from a possible attack.

Andy Radia:
I agree with Tom. We’re not too far removed from the Toronto 18 so I
don’t think any of us can afford to become complacent. Moreover, in the
past decade we’ve been involved in military efforts in Afghanistan and
Libya and more recently we’ve taken hard stands against Syria and Iran.
Unfortunately, when you get involved in wars and conflicts, you’re going
to make some enemies.Matthew Coutts: You both have fair points, but I
actually do feel fairly safe. Of course I don’t have the same level of
complacency I had before 9/11, but all things considered. We have had
some suspected terror cells on Canadian soil, and I bet there are
incidents that haven’t been made public at all. I think the Canadian
government is pretty switched on about the realities we face on this
front and I am reasonably confident in its counter-terrorism strategy –
inasmuch as I know we have one. And internationally, I think the U.S.
has made major steps under Barack Obama. Osama bin Laden’s death
certainly doesn’t end things, but I think it was more than just a public
relations victory. I don’t think our inclusion on bin Laden’s hit list
should shake us too much.Bink: Yeah, I don’t know, Matt. We know al Qaida is a
multi-headed beast, as most terrorist organizations are, so it’s naïve
to think the threat has changed. Andy’s right … the Canadian government
has gotten its hands dirty in the Middle East, and we are inexorably
linked at the hip to our neighbours to the south. Because of our comfort
and complacency, I sometimes wonder if we might be an easier target for
terrorists than the U.S. I hope I’m wrong – and that our reputation for
being politically-neutral and peacekeepers more than war-mongers
pervades – but I don’t think we’re free and clear by any means. Bin
Laden’s hit list only reinforces that.Radia:
It’s not as if I feel the desire to look over my shoulder every time I
get on a subway or on to an airplane. Generally, I think both the U.S.
and Canadian governments have done a good job combating terrorism. But
the government needs to ensure that they continue to allocate the
appropriate amount of resources into fighting terror. And the public
needs to accept it. For example, we should all stop whining when the
government tries to implement things like full body scans at airports
and voice recorders at borders. That’s, unfortunately, the age we live
in.Coutts: That is a point I fully agree with you on,
Andy. We need to take certain safety measures. If the border takes a bit
longer to cross, so be it. If someone ogles an X-ray of my crotch at
the airport, that is a price I have to pay. Look, I know there will
always be a threat to Canada. Terrorism will always be an issue in our
society. It isn’t something my parents felt they had to caution me about
as a child. I know I will have to talk to my own kids about it someday.
But I really don’t feel as if an attack is pending. A few years ago,
around the time of the Toronto 18, there was that sense. North America
was outwardly antagonizing those who might want to do us harm. But there
has been a pullback from that point. We are out of Afghanistan. The
U.S. is ending or scaling back its own overseas military missions. These
are just the obvious indicators, I know, and there is a just-as-deadly
current of unseen sentiment still flowing against us. But I don’t think
that we are actively making it worse. And that has got to be worth
something.Bink: I think we all agree that steps have been taken to deter terrorism since 9/11, but we should never become complacent.What do you think? Share your opinions in the comments area below.Pulse of Canada appears each Wednesday and Friday
on Yahoo! Canada News.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/pulseofcanada/pulse-canada-canada-safe-terrorism-152128345.html